Bakawarli also known as Bakerwali or Bakarwal Gujari, is a dialect of the Gujari language. It is spoken by the Bakarwal peopleKaul, P. K. (2006). Pahāṛi and Other Tribal Dialects of Jammu. Vol. 1. Eastern Book Linkers. p. 280. .Kumāra, Braja Bihārī (1998). The Tribal Societies of India: A Macro Perception. Omsons Publications. p. 104. of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory) in India and Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. It is slightly different from other Gujari dialects spoken in various parts of Azad Kashmir.
The Glotto code for the Bakawarli is "baka1270". In the 1961 census of India, Bakarwali speakers were recorded separately from Gujari speakers in Jammu and Kashmir (state).Sharma, Dinesh (1988). Education and Socialization Among the Tribes: With Special Reference to Gujjars of Kashmir. Commonwealth Publishers. p. 23. .
In 2016, Veterinary experts from the Sheep Husbandry Department of Jammu and experienced Bakarwals worked together. They translated scientific research about hot weather effects on animals and people into the Bakarwali dialect. This translation made it easier to get feedback and responses from Bakarwal nomads.
Classification Bakarwali is classified as a dialect of Gujari spoken by Bakarwals. But in terms of vocabulary it is quite different from Gujari.Raha, Manis Kumar (1992). The Himalayas and the Himalayans: Studies on Ecology, Biology, and Culture. Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Culture, Government of India. p. 345. . They speak their own language which they call ' Bakarwali'. They say it is of course a part of ' Gojri ' language but there are some sort of vocabulary differences. The language of the Bakarwals is also related to Harara and Swat dialects... It share similarities with other Indo-Aryan languages including, Marwadi, Haryanvi, PashtoThe Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India. Vol. 52. The Survey. 2003. p. 14. The Bakarwals, on the other hand, speak a language that seems to bear affinity with the Pushto group of languages in north-west Pakistan. and Urdu.Piani, Alexis (2025-05-16). AI Explains: Kashmir. Blue Tensor LLC.
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